Around the state: A trial begins today in federal court in Tallahassee in the suit against the state’s law governing unions representing teachers and select other public workers, Miami-Dade’s teachers union wins a challenge from a rival union, Hillsborough County schools announces how the district will make up classroom time lost during the hurricanes, Indian River school officials send the federal government a plan to comply with the desegregation order placed on the district in 1964, a University of Florida senior accused of spitting on a police officer during pro-Palestinian demonstrations in April avoided jail time by taking a plea deal Wednesday, and the Polk County School District names its principal and assistant principal of the year. Here are details about those stories and others from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Miami-Dade: United Teachers of Dade won the right to continue representing district teachers by turning back a challenge from a rival union. UTD, which has been the teachers union for nearly 50 years, received 73 percent of the votes from members against the Miami-Dade Education Coalition, which is associated with the conservative Freedom Foundation group. The election was triggered when UTD failed to gain the state-required 60 percent threshold of eligible members paying dues. Politico Florida. WPLG. WFOR.
Hillsborough: All second semester early-release days have been switched to full days for students as part of the school district’s plan to make up instructional time lost when schools were closed for eight days before, during and after Hurricane Milton struck the Tampa Bay area. Other adjustments include extending middle- and high-school credit classes by two minutes during the second semester, having classes for just 27 east county schools on Feb. 14, Florida State Fair Day, and for all schools other than those 27 on March 3, Strawberry Festival Day. First-semester exams for students in middle and high schools are also being waived, though some students who need a test for course credit or improving their grade can still take them. Tampa Bay Times. WFTS.
Duval: The NAACP is urging the school district to reconsider its decisions to close certain schools in the black community. “Students who already face barriers to academic success, such as lack of resources or access to support services, are further marginalized by the closure of their schools.” the organization said in a statement. “When schools in these neighborhoods are disproportionately affected by closures, it not only hampers the educational opportunities of students but also undermines the sense of belonging and empowerment within these communities.” WJAX. A redesigned school district website will be launched this weekend. School officials say it will be displayed in multiple languages, improve accessibility, contain an easy enrollment form and a digital school calendar, and more. The conversion begins at 3 p.m. Friday, and full functionality is expected over the weekend. WJAX.
Polk: Suzie Nelson of Chain of Lakes Elementary School in Winter Haven has been chosen as the school district’s principal of the year, the district announced Wednesday. The assistant principal of the year is Stephanie Huber from Southwest Middle School in Lakeland. Both will now be considered for the statewide honors. Polk County School District.
Volusia: Joie Alexander, a teacher and principal in the school district for 25 years before retiring and a 10-year member of the Volusia County Council, died Oct. 8 in Port Orange. She was 84. Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Manatee: Support for athletics, early literacy and school security have been added to the list of school expenses that will receive funding if voters renew the district’s 1-mill property referendum Nov. 5. The tax generates about $75.5 million a year, which also is used for teacher and staff salaries, STEM programs, career and technical education and charter schools. Your Observer.
Escambia: The two top vote-getters in the August election primary for the District 4 seat on the school board square off again in the Nov. 5 runoff. Realtor Rich Holzknecht, who finished first in the primary with 30.8 percent support, and Carissa Bergosh, a school liaison for the Naval Air Station in Pensacola who was named by 29.2 percent of voters, are competing to replace Patty Hightower, a five-term board member who decided not to run for re-election. Both Holzknecht and Bergosh cite teacher retention and student discipline among their top priorities. Pensacola News Journal.
Santa Rosa: District 2 school board incumbent Elizabeth Hewey is being challenged for a second term in the Nov. 5 election by attorney Oscar Locklin. Both qualified for the runoff by finishing in the top two in the August primary, with Locklin at 46.3 percent support and Hewey at 31.79 percent. Both stress the importance of teacher pay and benefits to maintain the district’s A grade from the state. Pensacola News Journal.
Indian River: District officials have sent the federal government a plan to comply with the desegregation order placed on the district in 1964. The proposal from the district pledges to monitor academic achievement of black students and all other minority groups, continue meeting quarterly with the NCAAP to report progress, and provide a superintendent’s report every September. “The board (and all schools in the district) shall take active measures to maintain a unitary school system,” the proposed policy says. “Active measures shall be defined as those which promote supportive educational environments that are free from discrimination.” TCPalm.
Gadsden: Teachers and the school districts are squabbling over a Facebook ad promising stipends of up to $10,000 for teaching at certain schools in the district. Teachers at some of those schools say they haven’t received the money. School board chair Karema Dudley said the district erred in not detailing the eligibility requirements, such as that the amounts are subject to change, and did not say when and how the money would be paid. WFSU. After James A. Shanks Middle School in Quincy received grades of D from the state the past two years, Camry Floyd was appointed as the principal. She’s the fourth principal at the school in the past five years. WTXL.
Colleges and universities: A University of Florida senior accused of spitting on a police officer during pro-Palestinian demonstrations in April avoided jail time by taking a plea deal Wednesday. Allan Hektor Frasheri, 21, of Largo, was sentenced to 18 months of probation for battery on a police officer. UF kicked him out of school and he’s been banned from the campus for three years. Fresh Take Florida. Freshman enrollment in U.S. colleges dropped 5 percent this year, the largest declines since the pandemic. Education experts say downturn is tied to the problems with the rollout of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. “It’s startling to see such a substantial drop in freshmen,” said National Student Clearinghouse Research Center director Doug Shapiro. “It takes the size of the incoming class back to pre-2022 levels.” Inside Higher Ed. USA Today. A new study suggests that a 10 percent increase in higher education enrollment in Florida would increase the state’s economic output by $8.38 billion. Florida Politics.
Union rules trial begins: A trial begins today in federal court in Tallahassee in the lawsuit against the state’s new law governing unions representing teachers and select other public workers. Unions must have 60 percent of eligible membership paying dues, and those dues may not be deducted from paychecks. Teachers call the law unconstitutional, argue there’s no policy logic differentiating favored and disfavored unions, and contend the restrictions are payback for the teachers’ opposition to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ agenda. Associated Press.
Around the nation: A new set of organizations is recruiting and training local school board candidates to try to counter the influence of conservative groups such as the Moms for Liberty on such issues as book bans and restrictions, LGBTQ student rights, classroom speech restrictions and censorship of educators. The 74. A new study estimates that U.S. school districts spent $3.2 billion in the 2023-2024 school year responding to “culturally divisive conflict.” Costs of conflicts came from extra security at school board meetings, extra staff time to respond to public records requests, and staff turnover. Chalkbeat.
